“Norwegian architecture and design firm Snøhetta’s proposal has just been announced as the winning design for Shanghai’s Grand Opera House, a new performing arts center,” writes Katherine McGrath in Wednesday’s (4/3) Architectural Digest. “Snøhetta’s structure … is set to be complete in 2023…. The most striking feature is the corkscrew spiraling staircase that connects the ground to the sky, depositing climbers onto the rooftop to take in sweeping views of the city and the Huangpu river banks.… The firm has imagined a radial layout that contextualizes the location with intentional paths to and from the city…. Former [Snøhetta] commissions include the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, the Busan Opera House in South Korea, the Isabel Bader Center for Performing Arts in Canada, and the Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers…. The main 2,000-seat theater offers state-of-the-art technical solutions and acoustics, while two smaller stages at 1,200 and 1,000 seats respectively allow for more intimate and experimental performances…. In the lobby, ribbons of soft red silk line the walls … in contrast to the stark white and glass exterior…. The structure seeks to shine a spotlight on Shanghai’s cultural contributions; the country’s five-year plan lists it as the most important piece of the plan.”
Posted April 8, 2019
